Elements: A RWBY fanfiction
by writingthisbecauseimbored
Summary: The story of my OCs in the world of RWBY. they meet the actual characters and are a main part of the war against the White Fang. Theres romance and angst and violence and stuff. Basically, i'm bad at summarising.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to Beacon

**RWBY: Team ACAS (Team Elements)**

a **short story- possibly a prequel to something. this describes the first few days at beacon for my OCs.**

**Skye POV-**

Woo. School.

I was nervous, and stared up ahead at the huge campus. i honestly had no idea what i was doing, and being me, i just stood there until someone came and asked whether i needed help. He was a student, but older than me, i could tell. he had messy blond hair and a sword at his belt. he seemed friendly enough.

"You okay? I got lost my first day too. You have to go over here. . . I think."

He started to lead me towards one of the buildings, and then stopped, turning around.

"Uhm. . . " He said, scanning the horizon, "I think it's this one." he pointed to another building. "Or is it that one?"

I spun around to follow his gaze, and spotted a sign pointing back the way we came.

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS MEET IN B HALL

"What about B Hall?" i asked, speaking for the first time.

"How did you?- I thought you were lost?" He said, looking puzzled. In answer, i pointed to the sign.

"Oh." Said the boy. "well have a good first day then!" he said cheerfully.

I walked away from him. _Do all the students here have such a bad sense of direction? _ i thought as i walked into the building.

**Ash POV-**

Akane was talking to me again. i ignored his ramblings about how he found seventeen girls attractive and got lost in my thoughts.

We were in a large hall full of students, split into groups by gender. i felt my hood slip back a little and adjusted it, my eyes drifting to the girls' portion of the room.

_come on, Ash. Stop acting like Akane._

i let my eyes focus on the floor, still trying to block out Akane's voice. He is the only student from my school that got into beacon that i actually talked to. the rest of them were just familiar faces from where i lived in Atlas. it wasn't as if i _chose _to talk to him, but our teachers wouldnt quit pairing us up because of our opposite semblances. i still don't get how people think that makes us a good team. We argued for all our time together, even though Akane is _so damn persistent _to be friends with me. At first i was actually intimidated by him, and scared he might find out that i'm a faunus, but he didnt care. It was really weird.

"Hey, Ash? You alive?"

Akane was looking concerned.

"Yeah. Fine." I told him.

Akane talked on.

"So then _she said i was dumb. _Like really. you are fifteen years old and dating the most popular boy _in the city _and you called him _ dumb?!"_

"You only dated for two days. And _you _broke up with _her, _remember? You went on this long rant about how she accidentally stabbed you with a pencil or something?"

I said, rolling my eyes at him.

This got him really upset.

"That wasnt an accident, Ash. she was _actually trying to kill me."_

_"_Yeah. Sure."

**Akane POV-**

"I am your headmaster, professor Ozpin (a/n idk how to spell his name) and i am pleased to welcome you to Beacon academy!"

Both Ash and I turned to see face the man talking on the stage.

"So tomorrow is a big day for all of you. you will face your initiation and team assignments. Please make sure you team up with people you work well with, since you will be together for your next four years here. Now please get some rest. you're going to need all your strength."


	2. Chapter 2: Initiation

**the next day: initiation**

**Skye POV**

Initiation. Wow. What a nerve-racking word.

I tried to calm my nerves, taking deep breaths. I was with the other first year students on a cliff. There were about sixteen of us, and i was towards the middle of the line. each of us stood on a metal plate.

"So, the day is here. " Ozpin began to speak. "It is time to see who you will be paired with, and to test your semblances. You will be launched off this cliff side into the forest below. the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years. you will need to retrieve an artifact and bring it back here, where your teams will be decided. you have a minute until launch. Good luck"

_come on skye. _i thought, _you got this. your semblance is WIND for crying out loud._

_S_ome of the other students looked nervous, and so i decided i wouldn't do too badly. i pulled my weapons out of their holsters. A twin set of pistols with fold out swords that i designed myself attached to the top. i quickly checked that they were loaded, and sure enough, safely tucked into each were twelve small bullets, filled with light blue dust.

The other students at the leftmost side of the line were being launched. without warning, i was flung into the air, and quickly using air currents to steady myself, i flew towards the middle of the forest.

**Ash POV**

I burned a whole tree on my way down. My semblance is fire, and, well, i can't really go through life without starting a few wildfires, i guess.

i slipped my golden sword back into it's sheath, and heard a rustle and quiet thud behind me.

_please dont be akane. please dont be akane._

I spun around, and there was a girl standing there. she tucked two silvery blue pistols into her belt and saw me. She had light blue eyes, freckles, and long golden blond hair parted on the left side of her head. She looked at me without saying anything, probably hoping i'd initiate the conversation.

"So i guess you're my partner now, huh. I'm Ash."

"Skye." she said, somewhat quietly, "and i guess so."

i heard s growl from behind her.

"Oh shit." she said, backing up and pulling her guns from her belt. I burst into a fit of laughter.

She gave me a weird look

"That is literally the last thing i would imagine you saying just then." i said, and with that, a pack of beowolves leapt out at us. Skye shot up into the air, leaving nothing but a gust of wind behind her. I pulled my sword out of it's sheath, watching the dust within it catch on fire as i activated my semblance.

"So youre just gonna leave me then" i said, slicing a beowolf's head off "are you like-"

and then the beowolves behind me fell to the ground as Skye flew above me in a wide arc, firing at the wolves as i slashed through a group that lunged towards me, my sword a blur of fire. she then landed on one of their heads at full speed, flicking one of her swords crushed it's skull while driving the sword through the top of it's head.

the wind that swirled around us died down as she stepped off of the beowolf's head.

"That was badass."

i said before i could stop myself.

Skye grinned. "I know. but thats pretty cool too." she pointed to the ring of foot-tall flames that circled the ground where i was standing.

"Oops." i said, sheathing my sword. The flames dissapeared into a smoking ring of charred dirt.

**skye POV**

We walked through the forest in silence. Ash watched a small flame burn on the top of his index finger. I opened my palm and made a small tornado swirl on top of it.

Ash looked over at it. I noticed that his eyes were a strange mix of red, orange, and yellow. comes with the semblance, i guess.

"Mine's still cooler." He said, sticking out his tongue.

I laughed. Ash looked back at his hand as the flame died.

"Hey." he said, "Let's play 20 questions."

"How about lets play find the artifact." i said.

"it's this way." ASh said, pointing into the trees. "i saw it while i was falling. So. Question number one: What's your full name."

"I dont think thats how it-"

"sh." Said Ash. "Just go with it."

"Skye Elizabeth Wayland. You?"

"Ash James Parker. Your turn."

I looked at the ground. "Ummmm. . . Where are you from?"

"Uh. . Atlas."

"here."

"Okay, so do you have any siblings or-we're here!"

He pointed at a large circle of columns, where another pair was picking an artifact.

"That was fast." Skye said.

**Clay POV**

**A**kane was gretting the next pair.

"HEY ASH!"

The tall, attractive boy walking towards us groaned.

"Hi Akane." He replied. "So this is your partner then." He gestured to me.

"Yup!" Said Akane. "This is Clay. He's gay."

"But- I- I didnt even tell you that!" I exclaimed in astonishment.

"I WAS RIGHT!" Yelled Akane. "my gaydar went off as soon as i saw you. i mean, pink hair? really?"

Akane looked at me. "And he's a faunus." He pointed at Ash. Ash went bright red and flames shot up three of the nearby trees.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL PEOPLE THAT!"

Akane walked up to Ash and pulled his hood back off of his head, revealing a lot of messy silver hair and a pair of dog-like ears. Ash pulled his hood up self consciously.

"Skye, this is Akane. And he really likes to invade other people's privacy and reveal all their secrets."

His face was still bright red with embarrassment.

"And, uhm, i'd appreciate it if you decided to not hate me, cause, you know, that would be great."

Skye looked at him, puzzled, and then said:

"How could i hate you? We played your messed up version of 20 questions. And by the way, that's not how the game works."

Ash looked relieved.

"And plus," said Skye, "It would really suck being partners with someone i hate for the next four years, right?"


	3. Chapter 3: Moving in

**Moving in**

**Ash POV**

**T**eams were announced after initiation yesterday. Skye and I are on a team with Akane and Clay, who i can tell is still angry with his partner for telling us about him yesterday. I let the fact he told the i'm a faunus slide; after all, these were my teammates, and they needed to know at some point anyway. If he tells anyone else though, i'm gonna be really pissed off. After dinner yesterday, the four of us got our room assignment and crashed immediately. Ozpin has given us the day off to get comfortable and explore the campus. It's a good thing too, considering that the only decorations we have are the TV and xbox that Akane dragged in. And, since he comes from a rich family (He's Ironwood's son, believe it or not) i wouldnt be surprised if he tries to bring millions of dollars worth of stuff.

Skye walked in, her wet hair wrapped in a towel. She was wearing a tank top, her ever-present cropped jacket, and a pair of light blue denim shorts.

"ALRIGHT!" Exclaimed Clay enthusiastically. "Lets unpack!"

Akane was still in bed, shirtless, which i could tell was making Clay uncomfortable. Akane got up and put o a shirt. Woah. Well i guess theres a first time for everything.

**Akane POV**

**A**sh looked incredibly surprised as i pulled a t-shirt over my head.

"What?" I said.

Clay and Skye looked confused

"I was partners with him at our old school," Ash explained. "And he only wore a shirt once."

Skye and Clay looked at me, incredulous.

"What?" I said defensively. "The ladies love it!"

**Skye POV**

I figured i should be the one to break the awkwardness, and so I turned around and walked across the room to my bed and suitcase. Ash followed and went to the bed next to mine, slowly unzipping his suitcase. Mine was practically bursting with stuff from home. i pulled everything but my clothes out and made a pile on my bed. I took out my various band and TV posters and began to put them up. Clay had too, because the area around his bed was surrounded in posters advertising boy bands.

My part of our room was beginning to sort of look like my room at home as i plugged in my laptop and put a few books on my nightstand.

Ash had put an alarm clock on his nightstand, and as far as i could tell that, a few books, and a small Dell laptop were all that he brought. Akane gave him a sympathetic look. Ash flipped him off as he eyed the large collection of valuables that Akane had pulled out of his three suitcases.

But really, Akane doesnt _need _three flat screens within two feet of his bed, does he?

I then realized that he was setting up all of the state of the art game consoles to his TVs, and his xbox was just the beginning.

**Akane POV**

I honestly felt bad for Ash, but i guess thats how it is. Not everyone has the life i do. Some are rich, handsome, cool seventeen year olds with en extensive video game collection, and some just get an asshole of a dad, and a dead mother. It's how it works.

From what i could tell, Clay and Skye were both from average middle class families. they both had quite a lot of stuff, but not as much as me, of course. How could they? I'm _Akane Ironwood. _The only person who might be slightly richer than me is weiss shnee, and i hadnt got the chance to talk to her yet.

**I **tossed Skye a playstation remote, as she and i were the only ones done unpacking (well, ash was done, but he was on his ancient laptop. Note to self: Get ash a new laptop for his birthday)

I pulled a large tub full of various games from under my bed, and got two copies of GTA V and slid them into two of my playstations so that we could play multiplayer. And thus began the most intense three hours of video games that has ever happened. _EVER._

**Skye POV**

Both of our controllers were flashing red and blue as the virtual police radio went crazy. Akane and i had stolen two taco trucks and had run over tons of people. we were now driving at top speed towards the beach in the nicest cars we could find. mine was better, so i pulled ahead of Akane, making him curse loudly.

"YOU KNOW WHAT FUCK YOU AND YOUR FANCY CAR OKAY IM STILL RICHER"

There was a group of virtual pedestrians at the beach and I yelled

"DIEEEEEEEEE"

as I ran them over. Akane threw his controller down in frustration. Suddenly, one of our neighbors burst into our room.

"COULD YOU PLEASE KEEP IT DOW-"

She was staring at Akane with wide eyes. She then smoothed down her skirt and walked over to Akane, and they shook hands.

"Akane Ironwood, such a pleasure to meet you. I'm Weiss Shnee. "

"No, the pleasure is all mine!"

Ash, who had moved over to watch all the drama and car crashes, whispered "These rich people are so weird".

"You said it." I replied. Ash gestured for me to leave with him as Wiess and Akane got into a conversation about business.

We sat on the ground in the hallway, and Clay left to go get a soda.

"We never finished 20 questions." Ash said. "And i was going to ask you if you have any siblings."

"I have a little sister." I replied. "What about you?"

"no."

"Okay, so . . uhm. . .how come you didnt want anyone to know you're a faunus? There are tons at this school."

"Because." His tone let me know he didnt want to talk about it, and so i didnt pry.

"Your turn." I told him, and he gave me a relieved look.

"uh. . Favorite TV shows? give me the top 3."

"hmm. . The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, and Supernatural. You?"

"Literally the same. i dont have any posters though. wish i had a really badass supernatural poster with like dean killing someone because they ate his pie or something."

"i doubt that exists." I said. "Well, i know what to get you for christmas now."

Ash turned bright red. "You dont have to-"

"I don't, but im gonna buy stuff for all you idiots anyway. . well, maybe not Akane. I think he owns everything."

Clay walked around the corner with three diet cokes. he tossed one to me and one to Ash.

"Maybe you could get him like a used tissue or something."

"well, " I said, awkwardly " i doubt he has one, at least."

Weiss left the room a couple minutes later, and Akane was practically glowing.

"I met Wiess Shnee!" he told us proudly.

"Yeah." Said Ash sarcastically. "We heard all your rich people talk. Blah blah money, blah blah buisness, blah blah rich happy family life, blah blah dinner parties. well you guys just go have fun with your mansions, Akane. And you and Skye can discuss your white picket fences and pot lucks, Clay. And I? Well im going to sleep."

He got in bed, and rolled over, facing the wall.

I had no idea what was bothering him, but i turned off my light and decided not to dwell on it. i could see Akane step over the wires leading to his multiple TVs, get into bed, and sigh.

"Skye?" He said

"Yeah?"

"Being close to Ash is quite a feat. But, if youre stuck with him for four years, you might as well get used to this. he does things like this sometimes-just goes all weird. you have to just deal with it if he won't tell you what's going on."

"Okay."


	4. Chapter 4: Saturday

**That Saturday, 3:00 AM**

**Ash POV:**

_**I knocked on the door three times.**_

_**knock**_

_**knock**_

_**knock**_

_**in rhythm with the rain pouring down from the sky and into the gutter, shrouding Atlas in a gray haze. I wiped blood from the side of my mouth with the back of my hand.**_

_**The door opened.**_

_**A woman in a robe stood over me.**_

_**"Can I help you?"**_

_**"Uhm. . Is Akane home?"**_

_**I was relieved when she didn't question why I was on her doorstep in the rain at 11:00 at night. She turned around to the base of an enormous staircase, perfectly placed in the middle of the enormous house.**_

_**"AKANE!" she yelled shrilly. "THERE'S SOMEONE HERE FOR YOU!"**_

_**I heard a muffled "Yes mother, I'm coming!" from the second story. I smiled as my best and only friend walked down the stairs, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants.**_

_**And then he was shot.**_

**_This is how it always goes, ever since i was younger. I would start with a memory of how i showed up on Akane's doorstep when i was twelve, dripping with rainwater, and how he came to invite me inside. What actually happened after I showed up at his house was that he spent fifteen minutes asking me if I was okay, to which i replied that my dad kicked me out, and I didn't want to sleep outside in the rain. and so we stayed up for hours playing call of duty and then i slept on his couch. _**

**_But in this recurring nightmare, he dies in the middle of his elegant foyer._**

**_And normally that's where it ends. On occasion I'll get a detailed memory of my mother's death, but this was normally when it ended._**

**_I could tell this time was different._**

**_Akane's mansion and Atlas midcity deteriorated around me, until I stood on the roof of the beacon dorms. I was alone, and relieved, because i honestly wouldn't mind dreaming of falling off of a roof for a change. _**

**_I turned around to see Skye land softly behind me , laughing._**

**_"You should see your face!" she exclaimed, pointing at me._**

**_And i saw every second of it as she was stabbed through the back with a-_**

I woke with a start, gasping. No. Nope. Nobody's dead, calm down.

**Skye POV:**

My laptop screen was the only light in the room, its screen lighting up the wall behind me. I was scrolling through my tumblr dashboard, with faint thoughts of "_I should go to sleep" _echoing around the back of my mind.

I heard a cry as Ash sat up abruptly, gasping for breath and putting his head in his hands.

I set my laptop to the side and slid out from under my blankets, padding across the floor over to him.

**Ash POV:**

"You okay?"

I looked up to see Skye standing there, concerned. I leapt out of bed in relief, hugging her harder than i thought was possible. I grinned, giddy with relief.

"Erm. .Cant. . .Breathe. . . "

"Sorry." I pulled away, stepping back.

"So where did the spontaneous hug come from?" She asked.

"Oh, um. Just a dream. I'm fine." I said awkwardly. "I/m gonna go get some air."

I walked out of the room and into the hall, only then realizing that i had followed Akane's lead in sleeping in just a pair of sweatpants.

_Ha. I guess that idiot did influence me._

I was on the roof, sitting on the edge and looking out over all of Vale. The sky was clear, which I was thankful for. In my dream it was cloudy.

I heard foosteps behind me.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked before even seeing who it was.

"Yup."

Skye sat next to me, her hair a tangled mess, wearing an oversized T-shirt advertising: SIGNAL ACADEMY ROBOTICS TEAM and a pair of shorts. She was wearing her glasses, and her bright blue eyes reflected in them. She looked beautiful, and i had no idea why I thought so.

"You sure you're okay? you seemed pretty shaken up."

"I'm fine. well- honestly I'm not. I'm a complete mess. but that's my problem."

i noticed her eyes drift down to my bare chest.

"oh, this?" I asked. She looked up at me.

"I'm guessing you got that from Akane?"

"Yeah. this was actually his entire style. he would wear nothing but sweatpants to school if he could. "

She laughed, and then looked down at the streets below us.

"Hey." I said, "What time is it?"

"Around three." She looked at her wrist. "I keep forgetting i'm not wearing a watch."

"wow. i guess that was abnormally long, then." I murmured under my breath.

"What was?" asked Skye.

"And I keep forgetting i'm not alone." I said, not meeting her eyes. "my dream. more like a nightmare, really. this stupid recurring thing. my therapist says it's the "physical manifestation of my fears." but if those are my fears, then I think they're completely irrational. well, most of them."

Skye looked up at me like she wanted me to continue.

"i guess I should tell you what it was then, considering `that it has prevented either of us from getting any sleep." I focused on a car that passed below us. "So it starts off with another stupid leak in our roof. My dad's completely high and drunk , and no matter how many times I told him that mixing drugs and alcohol would get him killed, he still did it. and so he must have been completely out of his mind at that moment, because he kept blaming ME for the hole in the roof.

" And cause that day I was feeling extra brave with my little twelve year old vocabulary, and so i told him

"What? you think I went up there with a fucking drill and made a hole in the roof to sabotage our lovely home?"

"And so he got really pissed and beat the shit out of me, and so I decided it probably wouldn't be a good idea to go back inside.

"so I walked down the street at 11:00 at night in the rain. and I walked for miles all the way to Akane's house. well, i's more like a mansion. and so I knock on the door, and when Akane's mother lets me in, she called up the stairs."

I knew i was crying at this point, and so i wiped my face with the back of my hand. that didn't do anything, and so I grabbed Skye's hand. She didn't move it away.

"And so he comes down the stairs. Just imagine Akane but smaller and with less muscle. that's basically exactly how he used to look. And then he dies.

Just like that, he's shot and i couldn't do anything about it. and then i was here, but i was cloudy, and you flew down and laughed at me, and then you were killed too. like stabbed through the back.

and you were dead."

Skye looked at me, still holding my hand. "I don't think they're irrational."

"What?" I said, confused.

"Your fears. If your dad scares you, then that's not irrational, especially since that was your memory. If Akane dying scares you, then that's not irrational either. Or me. i know if you, Akane, and Clay died i would be completely messed up. it'd not irrational to be afraid of people you care about dying, Ash."

And then I was looking into her eyes, and I leaned in, and then we were kissing, and she wrapped her arms around my neck and i had my hands in her tangled hair, and i was crying the whole time and it was incredibly embarrassing, but it was also amazing. I wanted to stay like that forever.

And then Clay walked out onto the roof.

Fucking idiot had to go and ruin everything.

I pulled away from Skye quickly as soon as I heard the footsteps.

I looked at Clay. "I swear, if you mention a word of this to Akane, I will kill you and your family."

"Woah, dude. i wasn't going to." Clay put his hands up in mock surrender. "I knew this would happen eventually. I didn't expect it to be a week after you met, though."

Skye spoke up. "You read Romeo and Juliet in middle school?" She was still blushing bright red like some kind of adorable angry tomato.

Clay looked really confused. "Yeah. . .?"

"So it's considered the best love story ever, right? and they got MARRIED a week after they met. Comparing this to that, I'd say we're taking it pretty slow."

"Good point." Said clay. "Well, Im gonna go sleep."

Both me and Skye burst into a fit of laughter as soon as he left.

"That was literally the most awkward moment of my life."


	5. Chapter 5: Mission Completely Impossible

**A/N: So up til now these have all been filler chapters pretty much doing character development and stuff. This chapter is where everything starts. :)**

**One month later**

**Clay POV:**

We were sitting in class, learning training techniques. Ms. Goodwitch was getting pairs of students to test a new move on eachother. Currently, Mercury was the champion, and he was happy about it too.

"Well done, Mercury. Do you have any idea who you would like to fight next? How about Ms. Wayland? She has been awfully quiet recently."

Skye gulped, and Ash put a hand on her shoulder.

"You got this." he whispered. she smiled at him uneasily.

"Excuse me, Ms. Goodwitch?"

Ozpin's voice crackled through the intercom.

"Yes?"

"Could you please send teams RWBY and ACAS to my office?"

Skye sighed in relief, grabbing her notebook off of her desk and standing up. Akane stretched, groaning.

"Do we have to?"

"Yes. "Ms. Goodwitch said, impatient. We left the room alongside four second-year girls. One of them was Weiss, who Akane immediately began to talk to about something or other. I didn't know the other three.

"What do you think he wants to talk to us about? OOH! IS IT A SECRET MISSION?" The smallest girl said. she had short black hair and wore a red cape. She looked a little younger than us, but i din't understand how it could be possible.

"No. Well, I doubt it, anyway." Said a blond girl. The black-haired girl next to her was completely immersed in the book she was reading. I was surprised she hadn't run into any walls."

**Blake POV:**

I almost ran into a wall. I should really stop reading while I walk.

Ozpin was sitting at his desk, waiting for us.

"Hello. Team RWBY, it's nice to see you again. . This is Akane, Clay, Ash, and Skye, also known as Team ACAS, or Team Elements."

"How come they're called that?" Asked Ruby, interrupting the headmaster.

"Thier semblances," He explained. "Water," he gestured at the tall, black-haired boy. He took off his glasses.

"Hello ladies." He said smoothly.

"Earth," Said Ozpin, ignoring Akane's outburst and gesturing to a short, pink-haired boy.

"Fire, " He then pointed at the boy close to the middle of the group. He was wearing a hoodie, the hood pulled up over his head. He was holding hands with the girl beside him, thier fingers interlocked. Both of them looked nervous.

"Wind." the girl waved shyly. She had long, straight blond hair, and Yanf's approval of the blue dye at the tips of it was clear.

The eight of us stood in an awkward silence, and I was tempted to pull out my book. Ozpin could sense our discomfort.

"So why are we here? " Asked Akane impatiently.

"Ah, yes. A secret mission."

"I KNEW IT!" yelled Ruby enthusiastically. Team ACAS looked confused.

"So you're probably wondering why I chose first and second-year teams for this job. Well, put simply, it is because I see your potential. Team ACAS has exhibited an extraordinary amount of power, semblance-wise. Team RWBY, you have worked exceptionally well together over the last year, and those two things are qualities i need in the teams i send to do this."

"WHATISITWHATISITWHATISIT" Yelled Ruby, jumping up and down.

"I need you to go with a professional hunter to break into the White Fang's headquarters. I need some documents. As you know, this is a full-out war, and I need to know thier strategies. I need you to surprise them, and by choosing teams of such youn students like yourselves, I can guarantee they will underestimate you. I have professor Wayland taking you."

Skye and Ash exchanged looks. Then the doors burst open and Professor Wayland burst into the room.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOURE SENDING MY DAUGHTER TO DO THIS OZPIN! HOW COULD YOU!"

Skye groaned and sank to the ground, murmuring something under her breath. i could make out "so fucking overprotective" and "needs to calm the hell down". Ash sat down next to her, obviously bothered by his yells, flinching when Professor Wayland's voice rose.

Skye stood up.

"Dad, you know I can do this, right? You can stop yelling."

the Professor stopped. "B-but you'll be hurt! y-y-you could DIE!"

Skye rolled her eyes. Ash stood up. "She won't die, Professor."

"AND HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT!?"

"Because if she did then- then-" He breathed out, looking at the ground. "Because she can't. It's completely impossible. Did you see her kill that Nevermore in class the other day? Because if you had then you wouldn't doubt that she can take care of herself."

**Skye POV:**

We were on our way. Ash managed to convince my dad that he would "protect me no matter what" and eventually we were all allowed to go. We were flown just outside of Atlas. It was the middle of the night, and Clay had fallen asleep. My dad woke him up.

"So, now we have to basically storm the building. We will only need a few seconds. Skye, Ash, and Ruby will go in, considering that they are the fastest people we have. they will take pictures of the documents that Ozpin needs. They'll be in Torchwick's office, Labeled "Operation Gold." Team RWBY and I will be on top of the building, where Skye, Ash, and Ruby will go in. there is a trapdoor. We need to go now, and land on the roof ourselves. Be stealthy. Good luck."

And with that, the nine of us jumped out of the plane.

When we landed softly on the roof, Yang opened the trapdoor. "We've got your backs."

Ash, Ruby, and I slowly hopped down through the door-and were immediately surrounded.

"Fuck." I said, looking at the Whit Fang soldiers surrounding us. One of them went up the trapdoor, and as i was watching him, another soldier grabbed me.

"SKYE!" yelled Ash, looking at me in shock. The faunus held a knife to my neck.

"You come with us, or she dies." He glared at Ruby and Ash from under his mask. "Actually-" He looked at another soldier, gesturing to a pouch he held in one hand. Then I felt a prick on my neck, and everything dissolved into blackness.

**Ash POV:**

I opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was that I was in a cell. It was completely white, like some kind of sinister doctor's office. The next thing I realized was that I was alone.

"Skye?" I said to the empty room. "Ruby?"

The door opened. "Good morning, Sunshine."

Torchwick stood in the doorway. He closed the door, walking towards me. I hadn't realised until then that I was lying on the floor.

He kicked me in the ribs. I curled into a ball, trying to protect myself. I tried to push memories to the back of my mind. _No, Ash. He's not your father. You're not at home. It's okay._

"So, do you want to tell me what it is that Ozpin sent you here for?" -Another kick. I groaned, then said:

"Go to hell, asshole."

"wow! Somebody's fiesty today! Looks like I'll have a hard time getting information out of you."

He turned around.

"Maybe your girlfriend will help me?"

"No. . . ."

"Oh, Yes." Said Torchwick. "She's just next door, you know."

He left, and the sound of the door slamming in the cell next to mine was followed by a sickening thud and a scream.

"STOP!" I yelled, seeing red, "I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL RIP OFF YOUR HEAD AND CHOKE YOU WITH IT YOU EMO-HAIRED BASTARD"

I heard a muffled "Now, do you want to tell me why you're here?"

Skye's vouce was muffled as well. "Hell no, dick. Go die in a fire." Then there was the sound of another blow, followed by another. I sank down against the wall, feeling helpless. I heard a door close, and then whistling as Torchwick opened my door. He walked over to me, and I punched him in the face. He staggered for a moment before regaining his balance. He pushed me against the wall by the collar of my shirt, pressing a knife against my cheek, watching my blood flow down the blade. I winced. He let go and walked back into the neighboring cell.

"You know whose this is, don't you, blondie."

Skye didn't say anything. At least, not that I could hear.

**Akane POV:**

We need to go get them right now. Right now.

After we realised the room below the trapdoor was full of soldiers, we retreated back to the nearby forest. We were in a tree, looking over the building and dicussing plans.

And that was when the building exploded.

**Ash POV:**

The building was blown apart, and I immediately knew who had done it. The large gust of wind was quite obvious.

Skye was on the ground in a heap of rubble, trying to get up, but out of energy. She was holding the remains of the floor above us up with her semblance, and could only look as Torchwick walked towards her, pointing his gun/cane/thing at her forehead.

I grabbed a shard of glass from the ground, stood up shakily, and walked over behind Torchwick. My vision was blurred, but I didn't miss as I drove the glass into his back.

**A/N Well that mission thing was a complete disaster! DUN DUN DUN**


	6. Chapter 6: Cursing out the principal

**Ash POV:**

My only thought was

_Dude! Skye just blew up half a buliding!_

And then I remembered that i had stabbed Torchwick in the back. Skye was pulling herself up off the ground. I lent her a hand, and she wrapped her arms around me and buried her head in my chest. Ruby was completely unharmed, and sprinted over to her team immediately, engulfed in an immense group hug. All of us suddenly remembered where we were and ran away from the building as fast as we could, to avoid being attacked by the entirety of the White Fang's armed forces. Skye's father began fussing over his daughter's well-being.

"I'm fine." She said, her voice shaking.

Akane was ahead of the group, and said:

"Guys? I think we need to go up. Theyre all around us."

He pulled out his scythe, folding it up and standing on it as a large wall of water exploded from the ground around his feet. The rest of us sped after him, not wanting to split up. Akane was drencing the whole forest, while Clay was bending the trees under him, running on branches. We didn't look back until the school was in sight.

**Skye POV:**

I feel like crap. Apparently Torchwick broke one of my ribs, and holy shit do broken bones hurt. I was all fixed up and stuff, but any movement at all would send a shooting pain up my side. And I had to go to CLASS. And do CALCULUS.

I was leaning on Ash's shoulder,a nd whenever he moved his arm, I woould wince, and he apologized nonstop for minutes afterwards. Clay was asleep, his pink hair sticking up in tufts.  
>"Skye. Hey." Akane whispered. "You got a pen?"<p>

I tossed him my pen, and he began to draw on Clay's face. I rolled my eyes.

And then I fell asleep.

...

Ash had gone somewhere. I was walking through the hallway when I heard yelling coming from Ozpin's office. I looked inside, and Ash was cursing out the principal.

_Idiot._

I walked into the room.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA? FUCKING SUICIDE MISSION? YOU KNOW I CAN ATTEMPT SUICIDE BY MYSELF JUST FINE. I DON'T NEED YOU TO DO IT FOR ME!"

Ozpin sighed. "Yes, Mr. Parker, I have seen your records. And that incident has already been taken care of, has it not? I was simply using you as a distraction. I have already spoken to all of you about this. I had another team go in and get the documents. I saw that you three had the most potential, and so I set you up to be captured. I knew all along that one of you would get out of there, but I honestly expected it to be you. But, concidering past events, I can understand why you froze."

"PAST EVENTS? _PAST EVENTS? _PAST EVENTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! I'M JUST SLIGHTLY PISSED OFF THAT YOU SENT MY _GIRLFRIEND _TO BE INTERROGATED AND _TORTURED-_"

I put a hand on his shoulder.

"How many times am I going to have to tell you that I'm fine before you believe it?" I asked. He looked startled, and then slumped down in his chair with a sigh.

"So I did call you in here for a reason, ." Ozpin seemed completely undeterred by the whole Ash-cursing-him-out thing, and continued: "I wanted to know if you have been seeing your therapist regularly."

Ash looked incredibly guilty. "I-I stopped going."

"Can you tell me why?" Ozpin asked.

"Because there are more important things. Like rent, and food, and running water, and all the bribes I've had to give the social workers who show up to cart me away to some kind of orphanage. I can't afford a therapist, and you know that."

They had completely forgotten I was there.

"What about your friend? Ironwood?"

"I'm tired of taking his money, Ozpin. I don't want it." Ash ran a hand through his hair.

"I understand that you don't think that therapy is important, Ash, but you have to admit you need it. your mental health is an extremely dire situation. If it were depression alone, that would be managable by our gudance councelors, but when you add in your nightmares and PTSD, not even mentioning the-"

"I know I may have a _few _issues, but I don't need someone to tell me that." He then said in a mocking tone: "Oh hello Mr.. Parker, how are you today. It seems as if your father is abusive? How can I help? Perhaps I can erase all memories of your mother's murder form your brain with my magical therapist powers! Wouldnt that be WONDERFUL-"

And then he remembered I was in the room. Ozpin looked at him. "You haven't told her anything, have you?"

"she knows some things. . ."

"Well," said Ozpin, "You are excused. you have some explaining to do."

Ozpin walked out of the office, shutting the door behind him.

**Skye POV:**

I sat down in the chair next to Ash. He looked down at the carpet.

"My dad's an asshole. Pretty self-explanatory. And he's mainly an such an asshole because he's an asshole on drugs. My mother was nice. she and i were pretty much living in the shadow of this absolute dick. I would go unscathed back then. I was pretty much a normal kid with a crappy home life. I got into combat school because my teachers noticed that I was smart or something. And it was okay for a while. But then my dad left to go meet his dealer or something, and my mother and I were left in the house (And when I say house, I mean moldy run down mobile home.)

There was a shitload of crime where I lived, and looking back I'm not surprised we were hit. I was getting in bed, and My mother was doing dishes, and this dude comes through the door and points a gun at my mother's head. He told us to give him all our money but we didn't have any and so he shot her. Boom.

I grabbed a kitchen knife and ended up stabbing him in the chest.

Thirteen times."

"Ash-" I started to say, but I was cut off when he smiled at me.

"I'm fine, Skye."

"I-"

"I'm fine, okay?"

"bu-"

"Okay? I'm fine, You're fine, We're fine."

He stood up, and I stood up too. He looked at me, and then wrapped his arms around my waist and put his chin on the top of my head.

"We're fine."

I nodded. "We're fine."

The bell rang.

"Crap!" Said Ash, "We're late for lunch!"

We ran down to the cafeteria. Akane and Clay raised their eyebrows when we sat down.

"Hey Ash! Hey Skye!" Said Yang cheerfully. "Where were you?"

"And more importantly," said Akane, "did you use protection?"

I felt my face go bright red.

"Fuck off, Akane." said Ash, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"God, I was joking!" said Akane. "So where were you anyway?"

"Ozpin wanted to talk to me."

Akane looked at Ash and immediately understood. He looked at me, and I could tell he wanted to know if Ash told me anything. I gave him a small nod. Blake looked over her book at Ash suspiciously.

"I can't believe he used us as bait like that." said Weiss. "What could have possibly made him think that was a good idea?"

"Maybe," Clay replied, taking a bite of his food and then swallowing, "Maybe he knew that Skye would destroy half the building."

"He said he knew one of us would. That's why he chose the three of us to actually go in." Ash was chopping up a steak.

"You eat a lot." said Ruby, staring at the huge meal Ash had in front of him.

"He is a dog, after all." Blake glared at him over her book.

"And yet," Yang sighed, "He's still thin and attractive."

I cleared my throat. Yang looked at me, guilty.

The bell rang. "Damn it," Ash complained, "I didn't get to finish my hamburger."


	7. Chapter 7:Attempting to dance

**December**

**Yang POV:**

**startingoffwithayang **has joined game

**aneternalbadass **has joined game

**RubyRose176** has joined game

**Infinite_skyes_ **has joined game

**Akanetherichkid **has joined game

**Claythegayunicorn** has joined game

**IceQueen2003 **has joined game

**BlakeBelladonna **has joined game

**LAUNCH SERVER**

One of our games of halo was just beginning; the eight of us began playing about a month ago (at Akane's recommendation) and now were in the midst of an intense battle for GLORY.

_Okay Yang, lets win this. _I thought to myself, _They'll never see you coming!_

**startingoffwithayang **killed by **Infinite_skyes_**

_"_That didn't count!" I yelled at Skye, who was sitting on the floor, "You'll get what's coming to you, just wait!"

**Infinite_skyes **killed by **RubyRose176**

"NOBODY KILLS MY SISTER!" Yelled Ruby as she ran Skye over in a truck. "NOBODY!"

**RubyRose176 **killed by **aneternalbadass**

"OH NO YOU DON'T, ASH!" Ruby continued to yell. "DON'T GO ALL PROTECTIVE BOYFRIEND _NOW! _ALL I DID WAS-"

**SERVER ERROR**

"Huh?" Ruby had stopped shouting and stared at her screen in utter disappointment. "What happened?"

"Here." said Skye, pulling my computer off my lap. "The connection timed out. I think there's an error." She pressed F12 and a box of code scrolled up from the bottom of the screen. A small, black rectangle appeared at the bottom, filling with red letters. Skye read it and scrolled through the hundreds of lines of code.

"Oh." she said, pressing one key. "missing semicolon."

"How did you do that?" asked Ruby. "You understood all that code?"

"Well, "said Skye with an exaggerated hair flip, "I _was _in robotics club."

"You're such a nerd." said Ash, rolling his eyes. Skye punched him on the shoulder playfully, and he kissed her on the cheek when she turned to look back at her laptop screen.

"Not in _public!_" Akane joked. "I'm disgusted. " He turned his nose up at them.

Ash laughed. "I could tell you the same. Every Friday night for the last TWO YEARS. How many girls did you bring back to our room, anyway?"

"Three hundred and seventy six. and it was great." Akane looked proud.

"EW." clay wrinkled his nose. "Please spare me the thought of you. . . you know."

The door opened. Ms. Goodwitch loomed over the group.

"It's curfew. You four, back to your room."

Akane groaned as he got up, and the rest of team ACAS followed their leader down the hallway.

**Clay POV:**

"Soooooo. . . ." I said as everyone sat down. "GUESS WHOSE PLANNING WINTER FORMAL!"

"Hmm. I wonder," Skye pretended to look confused. "could it be you? maybe?"

"YES!" I couldn't help myself. I was just SO DAMN EXCITED. "It's me and Yang. Weiss didn't want to plan it this year. She claims to be "unintrested"

"When is it?" asked Akane."I need to put up flyers."

"What for?" I asked. "I'm doing all that, too."

"Oh, " explained Ash, "He puts up fliers saying he's accepting fifteen dates to the formal, and it's first come first serve, as long as you meet the requirements."

"You really are popular, aren't you?" I asked. "Well, I doubt I'll even get one date, much less fifteen."

"Aw, come on," Skye said optimistically, "I bet they're's a great guy out there for you."

"Yeah, I guess." I said. "And it's Friday, the last day before break."

"Oh yeah, " Skye's face lit up. "A week at home. I almost forgot. And plus, it's Christmas. I love Christmas!" She hugged her pillow to her chest.

"I hate it. " I shuddered at the thought. "I mean, I love the holiday, i love decorating, and I get WAY too into the Christmas spirit, but we always have this family reunion, and my homophobic aunt and uncle. . . . well. . . . .I pretty much came out to my entire family, them included, two Christmases ago. And it didn't go well. My cousins and grandparents and my mom and dad are super supportive, but . . . . . . . . . "

"I hate it too." Ash said. "Going home. . for a week."

We sat there in silence for a minute. Eventually Akane turned off his lamp, and the room was plunged into darkness.

**Friday**

**Skye POV:**

I walked down the hall towards our dorm room. I hadn't yet packed, and after the dance I would be heading home. I opened the door, and Clay immediately through a wad of fabric into my face. I held it out in front of me, and it was a light blue and white dress, which looked like it would stop at my knees. It had a black ribbon at the waist.

"I noticed," Clay grinned at me, "that you don't have a dress."

I noticed the pile of clothes spreading across my corner of the room.

"Did you go through my closet?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oops?" Clay made a guilty face. I rolled my eyes, looking at Ash, who looked back at me sympathetically. "Now go get changed." He handed me a pair of light blue flats. "I didn't think you would like heels."

Then he pushed me out the door. I walked down to the bathrooms, and slipped on the dress. I felt SO FANCY. I put on the shoes, and spun around before running into a sink. _Damn lack of coordination._

...

I was back in our room , alone except for Clay, who was doing something to my hair.

"Okay!" He held up a curling iron.

"I'm not so sure i should trust you with that near my head. . "

Clay began to curl my hair, and it took FOREVER. Ash and Akane walked into the room, and Ash couldn't keep his eyes off me. He looked incredible, with his messy silver hair somewhat under control, and wearing a tuxedo and a bright red tie. He reached behind him to pull up his hood, and then realized it wasn't there.

Akane was even more confident than usual.

"I got 54 requests to be my dates. I looked at all the applications and I'm dancing with some really pretty girls today!" He smiled in enthusiasm.

"done!" said Clay, putting a final bobby pin in my hair.

**Ash POV:**

**I** grabbed Skye's hand as we entered the ballroom. She interlocked her fingers with mine. The large crowd of people bothered her, and so I squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. We walked towards the punch table.

"Soooo. . . . I can't dance. At all." Skye said bluntly.

"Good. Cause I can't either." We laughed, and a slow song came on. tons of people went into the middle of the room, including Akane and what had to be date #1.

Clay skipped over to us and grabbed our arms.

"Woah woah woah. What are you-" I protested as Clay pulled us out onto the floor.

"Now." He said, grabbing my hands and putting them on Skye's waist. "Dance."

We stood there, clueless, my hands on her waist, and hers around my neck. Clay grabbed my shoulders. "Go like this-" he made us sway to the left- "And like this-" he made us sway to the right-"And move your feet a little. TADA!"

Clay skipped away into the crowd, leaving us to awkwardly sway to the side for the remainder of the song. When it ended, we fled to the balcony, realizing how neither of us knew what we were doing.

"Sorry." I said. "I've never been to a dance before."

"It's okay." I pulled her into a hug.

"I wish I wasn't so awkward." she said, her voice muffled by my shirt.

"You are sort of awkward, aren't you?" I looked down at the top of her head. "But i think it makes you that much more adorable."

"Sorry, but I think I might need to THROW UP now."

I laughed, and she stood up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around my neck.

Let's just say we may or may not have spent the next ten minutes making out.

...

The dance ended with me, Skye, Clay, Akane, Yang, and Ruby sitting around a table laughing like a bunch of maniacs at Akane's ranting.

"CAN YOU _BELIEVE _IT? I CAN'T. REALLY, WHAT WAS _UP _WITH HER? WHY WOULD SHE TELL ME THAT? I DON'T DESERVE THIS!"

Akane's anger was maybe the most amusing thing any of us had ever seen.

**Akane POV:**

After a while, we all got up. Clay headed towards his old silver camry, waving as he sat down in the driver's seat. We could hear music coming from inside it.

_You light up my world like nobody else,_

_the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed_

Skye gagged, and Ash said: "His music taste. . . well. . . ."

The three of us walked over to my limousine, and I climbed into the driver's seat as Ash and Skye climbed in the back. They were leaning on eachother, and I could tell that Ash didn't ever want to let go.

...

We parked in front of Skye's house, and Ash leaned over and kissed her, mumbling something. She climbed out the door, grabbing her suitcase from the trunk.

"Bye," I waved.

"Bye Akane. See you soon. And Ash? I love you too."


	8. Chapter 8:Literally Kicked Out

**Christmas Eve**

**Skye POV:**

DING DONG

The doorbell rang. At Eleven o'clock on christmas eve. Great timing, whoever.

"I'll get it." I told my dad, walking down the stairs. He was on the couch, watching TV. It was snowing outside, and I could see lightning through the windows. I opened the door, and was greeted by Ash, standing there with snowflakes peppering his hoodie. I practically leapt into his arms, but he grunted in pain and so I let go. My dad rounded the corner.

"Skye? Who was i-" He noticed the blood running down Ash's face and the bruise on his jaw, and stopped in his tracks.

Ash looked at him. "You happen to have a first aid kit, professor?"

...

Ash winced as I put ointment on the cut on his forehead.

"You mind if I ask what-"

"Dad kicked me out." He explained. "Literally."

"Oh." I looked down at the floor.

"He'll sober up in a few days. He always does. Once the high wears off he'll let me go back. So I was wondering if I could-"

"Sure." I cut him off. "of course."

He pulled his hoodie and shirt over his head, revealing that he was in a lot worse of a state than I originally thought. I involuntarily gasped, running my fingertips over one of the newly-formed bruises on his torso. Ash lightly grabbed my hand.

"I'm okay."

"No," I put a bandage on a cut on his stomach, "you're not in the slightest."

He laughed quietly. "I suck at lying."

I grabbed his blood-soaked clothes and tossed them in the washing machine, starting a load. My dad poked his head around the corner.

"I'm going to sleep," he told me. "You got this under control?"

"Yeah."

"Is he okay?" He looked concerned.

"He's fine." I turned away, picking up the laundry basket.

"I put some pillows and blankets on the couch."

He left and headed towards the back of the house. I heard a door close. Ash walked around the corner.

"So he's okay with you and your boyfriend as the last ones awake? Alone? together?"

"Look at yourself, Ash. You really think we'd be able to do anything?"

"good point."

I wrapped my arms around him, trying to be gentle. He kissed the top of my head. "So am I really sleeping on the couch?"

He gave me a pleading look, and I could tell that he was going to have multiple nightmares tonight.

"You don't have to." i said.

...

**Ash POV:**

I woke up gasping, sitting up abruptly. Skye stirred next to me, sitting up. I lay back down, sighing and pulling her down next to me. She dosed off quickly, and I listened to her slow, even breathing until I fell asleep.

...

Skye shook my shoulder.

"Everyone should wake up soon. You should go downstairs and look like you've been there all night."

"Good idea. " I yawned, slipping out from under the blankets and standing up, groaning as almost every bone in my body ached at once. I padded across Skye's plush carpet. Before I left, I said: "Your carpet is the most wonderful thing my feet have ever experienced." I spun around, and Skye had fallen asleep again, her arms tangled up in the sleeves of her sweatshirt, and her hair a mess of bedhead.

I fell asleep on the couch, bu was woken up about five minutes later by some kid.

"The fuck are you. . . doing. . . hey did you shrink or something Skye? And cut. . .your hair?"

In my half asleep state, Skye's little sister looked like some kind of dancing midget fairy creature. The kid poked my face.

"You said a bad word."

"LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVENDER! YOU SMELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

Another blurry kid ran around the corner.

"I DO NOT!"

"DO TOO!" yelled the little boy, who I could see clearly now, and who was jumping up and down.

"Who are you?" Asked Lavender. "Are you dying?" She stared at me.

"No-" My voice was hoarse. "I'm not dying."

"Who are you?" Asked the boy, bouncing around.

"I dunno." I said, sitting up and wincing. "Who are you?"

"I'm Joey." He said, puffing out his chest like his name was such a big accomplishment.

"I'm Ash."

"OOOOOOH ARE YOU SKYE'S BOYFRIEND? ARE YOUAREYOUAREYOU?" Asked the little girl next to him.

"yeah-hey-how did you know that?"

"Daddy said." Said Lavender. "He came home and was like: Oh hi yeah Skye had a thing and then he got all upset talking about torchwitches and torchuring and then he was like oh and she has a boyfriend and he said your name was Ash and then you said you're Ash and unless they're's two Ashes then you're her boyfriend but thats gross especially if you're dying-"

"He's not dying." Skye was coming down the stairs. I gave her a sort of oh-thank-god-you-saved-me-from-such-an-awkward-situation look.

The kids had moved on from annoying me to shaking all the christmas presents under the tree.

Skye left for a minute and came back carrying my shirt and hoodie. She tossed them to me, and I gratefully pulled them over my head. Lavender caught a glimpse of a few fading scars on my left forearm.

"What's that? You cut yourself? Was it an accident? Did it hurt? Are you okay? Are-"

"Hey Lavender why don't you go open a present?" Skye stopped Lavender from prying, and sat down next to me as her parents and two other people rounded the corner.

"Aunt and Uncle" She explained.

Professor Wayland introduced me to everyone. "This is Ash . . . Skye's boyfriend."

"Hi." I waved. They all looked concerned about my condition, and the awkward silence was too much to bear. I stood up and left the room, walking into the bathroom and leaning against the wall and slowly sliding down it until I sat on the floor, resting my head on my arms. The door opened slowly, and Skye sat down next to me without saying anything.

"Merry Christmas." I said, pulling my present for her out of my pocket. I handed it to her, and she unwrapped it. It was a small box, and she opened it to reveal a necklace with a blue stone hanging from it. It sparkled in the light of the nightlight in the socket next to her.

"It's beautiful." She said, clasping it around her neck.

Her phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket, and accepted the call, putting it on speaker.

"Skye?"

"Akane? Are you okay?" She asked, hearing gunfire in the background of the call.

"You'd better be playing some kind of video game, Akane." I said, worried about him.

"Ash? Good-theres two of you- i need your help please I-damn it" The call ended.

I looked over at Skye, shocked. We both ran out of the bathroom. Skye sprinted up to her room, and emerged a few seconds later wearing a tank top, jeans, and he jacket, with her pistols at her belt. I grabbed my sword off of the couch and put the sheath over my shoulder. Skye grabbed her computer, grabbing her phone and plugging it in. Her various relatives were looking at us curiously as Skye started typing lines of code into her computer.

"robotics club?" I asked.

"Nope. Just the fact that I'm an absolute computer nerd."

She began to track Akane's call, finding his location.

"What are you doing now? let's go!"

"I need to see what we're dealing with."

She pulled up what looked like security camera footage of an intersection. An incredible amount of Grim were attacking the city.

"Holy shit." Skye said, causing her various relatives to look at her in surprise. We both stood up, and Skye put her laptop on the couch.

"To our deaths?" She said, smiling.

"Let's do this."


	9. Chapter 9:Christmas Spirit

**Ash POV:**

We sprinted out the front door, and everyone followed us. There was a large cloud-looking thing in the distance, looming over Atlas.

"Nevermore" Skye whispered in awe.

"Another attack?" I asked. Skye checked that both her guns were loaded, and then turned to me.

"Well, let's go see."

...

Atlas was overrun with grimm. We stood on the edge of town, and Skye's family had decided it would be a _great _idea to follow us.

"Is that-" Skye said, pointing into the street, where Akane was fighting a death stalker. One of the nevermore spotted us, and Skye shot up into the crowd of giant man-eating birds before I could stop her. I had no choice but to run down the street, and I launched into the air, slicing the stinger off of the death stalker.

"Thanks!" shouted Akane from in front of me. i dropped to the ground, trying not to set the entire street on fire. akane folded up his scythe and stepped on to it, creating a wall of water to carry him down the street as if he was riding a skateboard.

"Thanks for waiting up!" I yelled down the street to him. I heard a distant: "You're welcome!" And I rolled my eyes. Surveying the crowd of Grimm slowly closing in on me, I realized that Skye's cousin had followed me. IDIOT.

"You're soooo cooler than my sister." He said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Well," I said, slicing an ursa in half, "If I get you killed, I won't be very cool."

"WOAH!"Joey said, "IS THAT FIRE?! YOU"RE SOOOOO COOOOOOOOOL"

I picked up the kid, putting him on my shoulders.

"COOL!" He yelled. "IM TALL!"

"Yeah. Great. I'm getting you back to your parents now."

I fought through a whole lot of Grimm, and doing so with a nine year old boy on my shoulders was a lot harder than I thought. He wouldn't stop wriggling around and playing with my ears.

"Ow!" I exclaimed as he pulled one of them.

"Sorry!" he shouted down to me. "But faunuses are soooooo coooooooool!"

I put him down in front of his mom, back on the outskirts of town. She thanked me and hugged her son, and he reacted by sticking out his tongue and making a face.

Akane rode up beside me, flooding everything in a ten-foot radius.

"I hate your semblance" I complained.

"Ozpin says he's sending in professionals to deal with this." Akane completely ignored me. "But I don't know how we'll tell that to your psycho girlfriend."

He pointed up at the cloud of nevermore, where skye was flying around at record speed killing things. Every thirty seconds, a giant bird would fall out of the sky.

"That's not a bird. . . " Akane observed innocently.

And then Skye fell out of the sky. she managed to stop her fall right before she hit the ground, and she hovered there for a second before dropping the last two feet. I helped her up, and she was clutching a deep gash on her left arm, up near her shoulder.

"fucking TALONS. BIRDS ARE EVIL CREATURES!" she almost yelled in frustration. "Now can I please have some medical attention before I bleed out?"

...

**Joey POV:**

We were all back at the house, and Ash was still sooo coooool! We were sitting on the floor by the christmas tree. Skye's arm was all fixed now, and her mommy kept asking her if she was okay. Duh shes okay shes all fixed now.

**Skye POV:**

**"**MOM. I'M OKAY." I said, frustrated. I reached under the tree and tossed a present to Joey, and he tore the wrapping paper apart instantly. i left for a moment, running upstairs and down the hall to my room to get Ash's present. It was a drawing of Dean Winchester killing someone because they ate his pie. I rolled it up quickly, considering that I forgot to wrap it, and headed downstairs. Both Joey and Lavender were practically swimming in gifts. I hit Ash in the head with the picture as I sat down, handing it to him. He unrolled it.

"Woah. I thought you would have forgotten this!" He said, kissing me on the cheek. I heard Lavender go "EEEEWWWW" from the other side of the room, but I didn't say anything. Soon the kids had quieted down, and we all got into an incredibly awkward converation about Ash.

"So, how did you two meet?" Asked my Aunt.

"Uh. . school" i explained.

The conversation then progressed into what Ash's family was like, and he was dying with awkwardness next to me.

"So, what do your parents do?" My mother just HAD to ask about his family. way to go, mom.

"Um. . " He looked at me for help. "My mother's a. . . vet. and my dad's a . . .cop. . .?"

We were saved from family bonding by joey, who wanted Ash to go talk about monster trucks with him.

...

**Ash POV:**

At the end of the day, I was exhausted by not only waking up multiple times last night, but also because of all the christmassy stuff that Skye's family decided we needed to do. It was nice, but freaking ridiculous. I almost chocked on all the christmas spirit. I decided to stay another night at Skye's house, which everyone was fine with. Skye and i were laying in her bed, facing eachother.

"I'm so tired."

She laughed, closing her eyes and burrowing under her blankets. "Go to sleep then, weirdo."

I closed my eyes and kissed her on the nose.

"don't do that." skye complained. "It makes me want to sneeze."

That's the last thing I remember before falling asleep.


	10. Chapter 10:a big deal

**Akane POV:**

Oh, Goodbye, Christmas break. I'll miss you.

But here I am, back at school. What fun. At least I can play Grand Theft Auto with Skye again.

I'll miss you, Christmas Break

I spun around as I heard someone yell my name. Skye had pulled up to the front of the school in her black impala, and Ash hopped out of the passenger side, grinning at me. I turned around and walked over to them.

"Hi." I said, casually, glancing at a group of giggling girls who walked past me. _Sorry, ladies. _I thought, _I can't listen to you swoon over me right now. _

"Wow, look at you exerting self-control." Ash rolled his eyes at me.

"HEYYYYYYYYYYYY!" someone yelled from my right. I didn't even need to look to see that it was Clay. His enthusiasm can be sensed for miles. The pink-haired boy ran over, and then stopped, staring Skye in the face.

"Uh, hello to you too, Clay." she said awkwardly.

"Are you taller than me?" Clay asked. "Please don't say you're taller than me. . . "

"Well, " I said matter of factly, "You're like five three or something."

"How tall are you?" Clay asked Skye, even though it was clear to everyone she had at least an inch over him.

"like 5' 5". . . " Skye trailed off, looking guiltily at the ground.

"Yeah, Clay, you're short." Ash said, pulling a backpack out of the backseat of Skye's car. He swung it over his shoulder and slammed the trunk shut. Clay pouted the whole way back to our room.

...

**Skye POV**

So today we have a _test. ON THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS BREAK ENDED. _The first day back and we're already testing. _GAHD. _

Ash knows why though. he and Ozpin have a really close father-son relationship, so all Ash had to do is go ask him.

There has been an official declaration of war. Akane's father wants a team of elite hunters and huntresses, but everyone who has already graduated is concerned with their own business (except my dad and other teachers), and so where do they turn?

Beacon.

Ho-ly shit.

So I'm about to take a test to determine whether I'll be on the front lines of a war.

OH. MY. FUCKING. GOD.

...

I sat down in my seat in the W-Z testing room, and tried to settle my nerves. the teacher passed out the tests, and I opened my test booklet slowly, revealing the first few questions.

I knew this.

I KNEW THIS.

THIS WAS EASY.

I was scared because I knew what to do, and also relieved.

I answered the questions.

Most of the test was like a regular standardized test you get in school, and then there was a portion like an IQ test, and a personality test too.

Seriously, what is this?

...

I picked up the packet of results.

these things were graded incredibly fast. Computers are wonderful things. I sat down on my bed next to Ash, and we opened our results at the same time. Clay had completely ripped the envelope open and was looking through the papers inside with complete concentration. Akane was asleep, and had tossed his unopened results on the floor next to his shirt.

WAYLAND, SKYE ELIZABETH

AGE: 17

RACE: CAUCASIAN-HUMAN

GRADE: YEAR 1

MATH-98%

ENGLISH-97%

SCIENCE-99%

HISTORY-98%

IQ-141

OVERALL- 98th percentile (academically)

RANK-2(1st/2nd yr. students)

ASSIGNMENT- Alpha 02

The following pages were an in-depth analysis of my scores- i'll look at that later. Ash passed me his scores, and i gave him mine.

PARKER, ASH JAMES

AGE:17

RACE: CAUCASIAN-FAUNUS(CANINE)

GRADE:YEAR 1

MATH-98%

ENGLISH-100%

SCIENCE-99%

HISTORY-99%

IQ-147

OVERALL-99th percentile (academically)

RANK-1(1st/2nd yr. students)

ASSIGNMENT- Alpha 02

"Woah." I looked at him. "You're first?"

"Surprised?" He asked.

"Uh- no- I didn- i'm sorry- i -"

"I'm kidding." Ash put his hand on my shoulder. "I'm more surprised than you."

"and i can't believe. . . second?. . . but i'm not even that smart."

"You kidding?" Ash said, "You're like a genius."

"I am not. and, " Skye looked through her packet, "this test was EASY. I'm really surprised Phyrra and Akane and all those over geniuses didn't get better scores than i did.'

"It was easy, and I think because of that, the test wasn't what evaluated us." Ash stood up and walked across the room, picking Akane's results up off the floor. "See, " he said, flipping through them, "He has a higher IQ than both of us, and a higher percentile, and he's fourth. It doesn't make sense. And also. . ." Ash flipped to the last page.

"Look at this. He's a soldier, apparently. They gave him a military rank?"

I looked to the back of both of our results. "You're a sergeant, and apparently i'm your deputy. Holy shit, i'm in a position of authority. I can't boss people around!"

"I know!" joked Ash. "YOU? in a position of AUTHORITY? LOOK OUT! SKYE'S THE BOSS NOW!"

"Shut up. Anyway, what's the point of thi-"

"HEY WHAT DID YOU GET GUYS I WANNA KNOW!" Yang and Ruby ran into the room, yelling. Akane rolled over and put a pillow on his head. Clay was still completely immersed in his results, his headphones in his ears. Ash tossed them our results.

"Here." Yang said, handing me hers. Clay looked up and realized they were there.

"OOH ARE WE COMPARING RESULTS?" he exclaimed, jumping up and down. He handed me his results too.

JENSEN, CLAY ARNOLD

AGE: 17

RACE: HISPANIC/CAUCASIAN-HUMAN

GRADE: YEAR 1

MATH: 92%

ENGLISH:89%

SCIENCE:95%

HISTORY:87%

IQ-116

OVERALL- 87th percentile(academically)

RANK-7(1st/2nd year students)

ASSIGNMENT-Alpha 02

"Your middle name is Arnold?" I asked Clay, who looked incredibly embarrassed.

"I know, it doesn't really fit, does it." Clay said. "Clay Arnold Jensen."

...

**Ash POV-11:30 pm**

**"**I'll ask Ozpin, okay?" I said softly to skye, who was laying next to me with her head on my chest.

"Okay. I think we all just want to know what's happening. I mean, a declaration of war? not very clear. He already told us it was war, so..."

We figured out that this Alpha 02 thing we were apparently included in(and leading, in my case), had ten members, and our ranks made NO SENSE whatsoever. We had no idea what was going on, and it was making Skye nervous. I slipped out of bed and pulled a shirt over my head.

"Wait, you're going right now?"Skye sat up.

"Why not?"

"Maybe, " She propped herself up on her elbows, "maybe because it's like eleven-thirty."

"We both know neither of us are going to get any sleep thinking about this." I turned the doorknob.

**Skye POV**

Ash slipped out the door.

"What the fuck is he doing _now_?" Akane groaned, rolling over and turning on his light, grabbing his glasses and putting them on over his dark blue eyes. Clay stirred.

"He went to see ozpin."

"He does understand the concept of time, right? It's the middle of the night." Akane sounded annoyed.

"I know, but it was bothering him. He's a big kid, Akane. He can make his own decisions."

Clay sat up. "Where'd Ash go?"

"Ozpin's office, apparently." Akane rolled his eyes.

"In the middle of the night?"

"No, the middle of the day. At like lunchtime. _of course it was the middle of the night, Clay."_ Akane rolled over and faced the wall (not that he could see it with all the TVs in the way).

...

**Ash POV**

I didn't go to Ozpin's office.

He wouldn't be awake, and i knew that. I just needed to clear my head. i headed up to the roof, my favorite spot to try not to have a complete mental breakdown.

i sat down, my legs hanging over the edge.

The air was cold, and it cut through the fabric of my thin T-shirt easily, leaving me shivering. I set the roof on fire to warm up.

If we were actually going to fight in this thing, this was a big deal. A really big deal. A big deal is an understatement, that's how much of a big deal this is.

We could all die.

I could die.

_Wouldn't be that bad. . . _

Skye could die.

Akane could die.

Clay could die.

_I could die._

_Maybe I want to do this._

_Maybe i could just jump off this roof, right now._

_If I do, I should probably put out the fire._

No.

_Why not? _

No.

_God damn it, I wish I had a knife or something right now._

No.

I looked down at my scarred forearm.

_Come on . . _

No.

No No No

NONONONONONONO.

STOP.

I think I may need a therapist.

_Yeah, like that's a good idea._

SHUT UP.

...

**Skye POV**

I woke up when i heard the door open.

"what did he say?" I asked, looking at Ash's silhouette in the doorway.

"He wasn't there." Ash didn't lay down next to me, but instead sat down on his own bed, sighing and resting his head in his hands.

"You okay?" I asked, concern showing in my voice. "You can ask him tomorrow."

"Yeah."

**Ash POV**

I moved across to skye's bed, laying down next to her, and wrapping my arms around her from behind.

I didn't sleep.


	11. Chapter 11: Sandwiches

**Ash POV**

"IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE THE BEST SHOT WE HAVE!"

Ozpin raised his voice and I flinched, instinctively putting my arms up to protect myself against the oncoming blow that never arrived.

"I'm sorry, Ash." He sat down, running his hand through his gray hair. "i just-" he sighed, "I just need you to trust me on this. -And I do know that's hard for you to do, believe me."

He took a sip of his coffee.

"Alpha 02 is one of two special units. The other one is Alpha 01. that's all i'm telling you."

I was persistent.

"But why me?"

"huh?"

"why me? Why choose me to lead it? Why choose Skye? you do know how terrified she gets. She had to give a speech in Ms. Goodwitch's class, and she _cried. _As for me. . well, you know me. "

"Because. You're smart. You know what you're doing."

"Seriously?"

"Yes." I looked at him in disbelief as he continued. "and Skye's the best hacker we've got. I even gave her the administrator password for the server."

"And?"

"And, you're resourceful. I knew from the first time I saw you that you'd manage to get through whatever anyone threw at you."

I clenched my fists. "Yeah, I'm sure you did. Seven year old faunus kid in a hoodie stealing spaghettio's out of your pantry in the middle of the night. 'oh, he'll grow up to do great things!' not 'oh, call the police' or 'oh, home invasion! shoot the burglar in the face!'. believable."

"all of those things went through my head, Ash." he stood up. " not necessarily in that order, but they still went through my head."

He walked towards the door. "You can't begin to understand why I chose the students i did. It's a Saturday, go do whatever you kids do."

He opened the door, gesturing for me to leave.

...

"Anything?" Skye looked at me from her seat on Akane's bed, pausing the game she was playing on one of his multiple TVs.

"No." i said, grumpy, "just stuff about how I'm "resourceful" and "manage to get through whatever anyone threw at me."

"Except fists, beer bottles, and extra homework." Akane said bluntly.

"Thanks." My voice was drowning in sarcasm.

"Anything else?" Clay piped up from behind me.

"Nothing that matters. . . except-" I looked at Skye, "Did he give you the administrator password for the server?"

"yup." skye said, her eyes lighting up. "apparently the IT specialist he hired did a crappy job."

Akane looked at his watch. "It's 12:04. can someone go get us some lunch?"

Skye pressed play, immersing herself in the game again. "Busy. sorry."

Akane grabbed another controller. "Me too."

Clay put on his headphones, sitting down.

"Fine. I'll go." I said, turning towards the door.

...

i walked into the deli (They requested sandwiches), and realized how familiar the place was.

**Deli Manager POV**

A teenage boy walked in through the front door. He was a faunus with silver hair and red-orange eyes that looked like they would burst into flame any second.

He looked familiar.

Then i remembered.

**FLASHBACK TIME! (a/n) I figured there should be one, so i wrote one.**

_**It **was around seven oclock, almost time to close. all the customers had left, except for a woman in the corner waiting on her sandwich order. I looked through the cash register, making sure everything was in order. I heard the bell on the door ring. I looked up._

_A faunus kid in a hoodie walked up to me, his eyes fixed on the ground. When he looked up I realised they were the color of fire._

"I_'m here for the job interview." He said. I was confused. This kid looked, what, eleven? and was here for a job interview?_

_"How old are you?" I asked, suspiciously._

"_Sixteen."_

_I didn't believe him._

"_no, really, how old are you?"_

"_. . . Twelve." He didn't look me in the eye, instead focusing on the counter._

_"So, why are you here?" I asked. "Did one of your friends put you up to this? Was it that rich kid who tried to buy all our cookies?"_

"_No. I need a job." He looked at me as if he was surprised I didn't get that._

_"Sure." I went back to the cash register._

"_Please?" The kid hadn't even left. He just stood there, looking me in the eyes with this intimidating stare of his._

_"Well . . . " I thought up, "i guess you could wash dishes. come to the back so I can interview you." I flipped the OPEN sign around and lead the kid to the back. His movements were precise and calculated, as if he would shatter into a million pieces if he stepped the wrong way. We walked into my office, and he sat down as I switched on the light. I sat behind my desk, across from him. I noticed that he winced when he sat down. We looked at each other awkwardly for a minute._

_"What's your name? " I asked._

_"Ash Parker." _

_"do you have a resume?"_

_He shook his head. _

_"Okay then, what about any previous jobs you have had?"_

_"I, uh. . . " He brushed his hand through his hair. His sleeve slid down a few inches, revealing multiple scabbed-over cuts on his forearm and a bruise in the shape of a handprint. He caught me staring and immediately turned bright red, pulling his sleeve down over his hand. "I haven't had any."_

_..._

_That night I called child protective services, assuming abuse. They said, no, that he wasn't in thier files. I asked them to check with some other agencies. They said they'd look for his file for me._

_The next week they called me. "We've found it." they said._

_It wasn't filed under child abuse._

_It was filed under animal abuse._

_..._

_**PRESENT**_**..**

He was on the phone.

"So you want a veggie, Clay wants a BLT, and Akane wants what again?"

"Oh okay. that all?"

"Love you too. Bye."

He hung up, putting his phone in his pocket. He looked up at the menu. "Choices. . ." he muttered.

He looked at me. "What's the most expensive sandwich you have?" He asked. I could see recognition in his eyes, but I could tell he didn't know who I was. It was five years ago, after all. I'd been neglecting my facial hair and gained a few wrinkles in that time. I wasn't surprised. He, on the other hand, was at least sixteen or seventeen by now.

"Uh. . . " I said. "I'm not sure. Never had anyone ask me that before. Why do you need to know."

"Oh," Ash Parker replied. "It's for my friend. He has a habit of trying to buy everything."

_The boy who tried to buy all our cookies._

"And I'll take a veggie, and four BLTs." He looked at me.

I looked at him. "You applied for a job."

He looked confused.

"When you were twelve."

He remembered. I could tell. "Oh, yeah. i did." He didn't say anything else.

I gave him his sandwiches. "You know, you changed my life."

He looked at me as if I'd just sprouted three extra pairs of arms.

"You did." I insisted. "Afterwards-about two years ago- I adopted three kids from abusive families. My wife- she can't have kids, and we always talked about adopting, but we never really did anything, you know. But then I did. Thank you."

He was speechless. Finally- "you still didn't give me the job."

no, I didn't.

"They were all faunuses." I said as he turned around. "they reminded me so much of you."

...

I walked into the dorm room, taking my three BLTs out of the bag, and almost swallowing one whole.

"Your stomach comtinues to amaze me." akane stared at me.

"So-" I swallowed, "Apparently I changed the deli owner's life."

"You tip extra or something?" skye didn't look up from her game.

"No. Akane, you remember that deli we went to all the time when we were in middle school? The one you always tried to buy cookies from?"

Akane looked up, pausing the game. Skye threw a pillow at his head. "The one in Atlas?"

"Yeah. They got a new location. I read about it online and decided to go there for lunch. So it's the SAME MANAGER."

"Woah."

"I applied fro a job there, remember? so my sleeve slid down and then he decided to like STALK me and called child protective services and now he has three adopted faunus kids from abusive families. Apparently it was because of me."

"Huh. He give you a discount?" Akane grabbed his sandwich.

"Nope. I paid full price."

"Um, excuse me, Ash, but _I _paid full price. Can I have my card back?"

I handed akane his credit card.

...

**So this chapter. . . I don't even know where this came from. I figured I should have some surprisingly-mature-twelve-year-old-Ash in there somewhere.**


	12. Chapter 12: Not a Drill

**Ozpin POV:**

I walked down the hallway to my office from the teacher's lounge. I tried to unlock the door before realizing that it was already unlocked. I opened it to see ash and Skye sitting with their feet propped up on my desk, watching a movie on my computer.

"What are you doing in my office?"

Ash looked at me for a second before focusing on the computer again. "Skipping gym."

"In my office?" I asked.

"The wifi's best in here." he said in response.

"Go to class." I pushed Ash towards the door. "Or at least go skip somewhere else."

Skye walked out the door without protesting, and Ash groaned. "Fine."

...

**Clay POV:**

"Where were you guys?" I asked Ask and Skye as I saw them in the hallway after gym.

Akane raised an eyebrow from next to me. "you. . uh. .?"

"No, we weren't." He answered akane's question. Skye went bright red, looking at the floor.

"So why were you skipping gym?" I asked, confused. I felt slightly left out that they hadn't invited me to skip with them, but I guess they should be able to make out in closets of their own accord.

"If you haven't noticed, we both hate it with a passion" skye said.

We walked to Grimm Studies quietly, Akane smiling at girls as he walked by, every so often pointing one out to me.

"Dude." I said to him as he pointed to another one, "I don't like girls."

"I know-" Akane grinned at a girl on our right, "but I need someone to replace ash now he's got a girlfriend."

We sat down in the classroom, and Professor Port began to lecture. It was boring. Akane was asleep with his head on the desk, and Ash was playing with Skye's hair as she doodled on Akane's face. I grabbed a pen and soon akane's face was covered in drawings. ash rolled his eyes.

"Mr. Ironwood?" Professor port looked angry. Skye immediately looked extremely guilty and hid her pen behind her back.

Akane stirred, sitting up. one side of his face was red from where he had been resting it on the desk, and his glasses were crooked.

"Mr. Ironwood, could you come fight this beowolf for me?" asked the professor. Skye nudged Akane with her elbow, passing him a mirror so he could look at his face.

"Uh, no, sir. i can't. Skye will though!" Akane threw Skye under the bus. She stood up nervously and walked down the steps to a cage which was sitting in the middle of the floor. A growl came from it.

Skye was unprepared as the beowolf jumped out at her. She yelped and leapt over it's head, flicking out one of her swords. As it turned around she used a gust of wind to blow it backwards, slamming it against the wall. she stabbed it in the back of the neck with zero effort. Skye made a disgusted face and flicked blood off the blade before folding it up again and walking to her seat. Everyone except for our team was in awe, probably from seeing the socially awkward computer nerd kill something instead of running away from it. Skye looked uncomfortable as everyone stared at her, sitting down and looking at the desk. Akane was wiping marker off his face. Ash grabbed Skye's hand.

"You are badass." I said. "All quiet and stuff and then you're just like HA! DIE BITCHES!"

"You sure that's not me?" Akane looked hurt.

Suddenly, an alarm rang through the building. Skye jumped.

"Argh, not another one of those drills. I'm really getting sick of-" Akane was cut off by Ozpin's voice coming through the intercom.

"This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. We are under attack. I need Alpha 01 and Alpha 02 immediately. All other students report safely into the bunker."

"Or not." akane stood up.

Ozpin started listing some professors, but we weren't even listening anymore. Akane was flooding hallways with his semblance as he rode his scythe, and we sprinted after him, Ash and I getting completely soaked from the knee down. Skye managed to avoid the aftermath of Akane by flying above the water.

We arrived infront of the building, and stood there with a group of professors (including Ozpin, skye's dad, and Ms. Goodwitch) and a group of third and fourth year students. Team RWBY, Ren and Phyrra were close behind.

A hovercraft landed infront of us, and nobody moved. I had an arrow pointed at the door, and I looked to my left to see skye had both of her pistols leveled at it, too.

The door opened.

Nobody fired.

we should have.

Torchwick came out.

**Ash POV**

_I killed him._

_I KILLED him._

_His very existence defies all logic._

_I KILLED HIM GOD DAMMIT WHY ISN'T HE DEAD?!_

I took a moment to look at him. He was in a wheelchair.

_GOD FUCKING DAMN IT ASH WHY DID YOU _PARALYZE _HIM? WHY ARENT YOU DEAD?_

"Hello, Beacon!" Torchwick was quite happy. It was pissing me off.

suspicious, i grabbed Skye's arm and pulled her a few feet behind me. _There's no way in hell I'm letting her get hurt again._

"So, I- Hey! you're the kid who stabbed me!" He pointed at me with his cane thing. "That was a little setback." He stared at me. He laughed.

"You thought you _killed _me, didn't you? Well, you hit the wrong part of my spinal cord, i'm afraid. Lucky for me, you little girlfriend over there didn't kill _all _my staff when she blew up the building. I was given the appropriate-"

There was a gunshot. The ground a few feet to Torchwick's left exploded in a cloud of dust. I instinctively looked back at skye, to see she hadn't fired. she has better aim, after all.

I realized who had done it as another gunshot rang out and Professor Wayland reloaded his shotgun.

"wow!" torchwick turned to Skye's father. "Who are _you_?"

In response, Professor Wayland raised his gun at torchwick and said:" So youre the asshole who hurt my daughter."

"So you're her-but i don't see the resemblance!" Torchwick looked from Skye to her father. "No- wait- she has your eyes. I'll be going then. Just wanted to let you know I wasn't dead. Toodles!"

Torchwick was entering the craft, and Professor Wayland sprinted after him, trying to shoot him again.

The professor fell to his knees . Nobody knew what had happened until blood dripped onto the ground from a bullet hole in his chest.

**Skye POV**

You know how in the movies when a main character or family member dies you see a montage of all thier loved ones yelling NO! and people rushing to help them?

That's how it was.

I heard a scream, and didn't realize it was me until later. Torchwick's men were shooting at us from the hovercraft, which was flying away. I would have ran to my father's side if Ash hadn't grabbed me and pulled me down onto the ground, shielding my body with his.I didn't hear anything but a high-pitched ringing in my ears, and didn't move. Gunshots filled the air around us, peppering the ground.

I didn't cry. I felt as if this was all a nightmare and any second now i would wake up in the dorm room with ash's arms around my waist and my head buried in his shoulder, and akane would complain and Clay would smile and Ash would roll over and groan about how it's the morning and everything would be okay.

It wasn't.

...

**Ash POV**

I hate hospitals. not because they help people or anything, i mean, hospitals are great at that. I just don't like how _sterile _everything is.

after I attempted suicide the first time I got a crayon from the kids' waiting room and drew all over the walls because I hated it so much. The nurses were pissed. The psycologist thought i was reacting to my depression and having another mental breakdown but really i just HATE HOSPITALS.

Today wasn't any different. I was sitting in the waiting room with Skye, Clay, and Akane. Skye was asleep with her head in my lap. Clay was asleep on another couch, and Akane was flipping through TV channels. Lavender, Skye's younger sister, was crying nonstop at the bright green fisher-price table in the "KIDZ CORNER".

A nurse came out of Skye's father's room.

"Anyone here for Robert Wayland?" I raised my hand, gently waking Skye up. She opened her eyes, and I almost burst into tears. She wasn't herself. Her eyes didn't have the usual sparkles of happiness, and it was as if she didn't recognize me at all. she sat up.

"You can go visit him now if you're immediate family. His wife says she's fine with other visitors." The nurse began to walk down the hallway, writing something on the clipboard she carried.

Skye looked at me. She was clearly fighting back tears. She stood up.

"You want me to come with you?" I asked. she nodded.

"Thank you." her voice was hoarse, and this was the first time she'd spoken in the last thirty-six hours. I held her hand as we walked into her father's room. Lavender sobbed.

Robert Wayland woke up.

His wife immediately started crying in relief, ignoring the irregularity of the heart rate monitor. Professor Wayland looked at me.

In a room with his family, on his deathbed (once again, the irregularity of the heart rate monitor) and he was looking at ME.

I felt extremely pressured.

"Thank you." he struggled to say, maintaining eye contact with me. "And please. Keep her safe." he nodded at Skye, who had caught on to his words and realized he probably wasn't going to make it.

He told his wife he loved her, which she couldn't hear over her own hysterical crying.

the pulse on the monitor slowed.

The last thing he ever did was grab his oldest daughter's hand and press something into her palm.

beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

...

Skye and I had left the room seconds after his heart stopped. Skye dragged me out of the room, through the waiting room, and into the elevator. She pressed the button marked "BALCONY" and we rode up in silence.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered once we were on the balcony, which was completely deserted. "I should have killed him back at the headquarters. I thought i had-but-i-It's all my fault."

Skye looked at me for a second. She couldn't fight back her tears any longer. "NO. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. IT'S NOT YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM!" she half yelled, half sobbed. "IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT. I'M LUCKY YOU EVEN STABBED HIM AT ALL. I SHOULD HAVE SHOT HIM WHILE I HAD THE CHANCE- I -I -i should have- " I pulled her into a hug, pressing her head against my shoulder. She cried. "I- i'm the reason he's dead. i-it's a-a-all me-e and I caused this. I don't deserve any of this. I-I should be the one dead in there-"

"No."

"What?"

"No. It wasn't your fault, and you shouldn't be dead, Skye. You don't deserve to die. "

"Bu-"

"No."

I let her sob into my chest, her hands tangled up in the back of my hoodie. After a few minutes, she looked up at me, her eyes red and her voice raw.

"He gave me something." she dug something out of his pocket. It was a small, sim-card shaped chip. "I'm going to hook it up to my laptop later. I think he was trying to tell me something."

She sniffed.

"I know how you feel, you know? Because you're blaming yourself for everything. Just try-just try not to end up as fucked up as me." I said.

"I'll try."

She looked at the chip in her palm.

"I know exactly what i'm going to do. I-I can hack into things. I can use this chip. I'm going to find torchwick."

She looked at the horizon, her expression blank. she clenched her fists.

"And when I do, I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."


End file.
